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My Jury Duty Experience...

Just got back from being called in for Jury Duty in Alameda County in California (for those readers who are not in the US). Like most human beings, I dread the possibility of being on an actual jury even though I've served as Juror #1 on a civil case back a few years ago...we actually got to a verdict and everything then.

In this case, I was close but oh so far....I had been called in to serve for Jury Duty back in March/April but given that I had just lost my grandfather, I signed up for a deferral to September and wouldn't you know it...my summons was for Sept 1st. So, considering myself a person who should do their civic duty, in spite of the fact that it is DARNED inconvenient, I went to the courthouse last Wednesday. I got called into a courtroom and along with at least a hundred civically minded individuals, we were sworn in as potential jurors for a criminal case.

Now to watch justice in action - two attorneys, one defendent with a boat load of charges against him, one judge and all of us just praying to be excused for one reason or another. Some of course tried the "fry 'em all" card, others tried the "I have such and such disorder that would prevent me from serving but with no doctor's letters with them to prove that particular disorder"...hmmmm, makes you wonder on those ones. Others had legitimate hardships and the judge and the attorneys excused them as they should have. I just waited and waited and waited...I heard the same questions asked over and over and over again by the attorneys to each of the individuals who were called up from the pool of potentials. I thought I was home free on Wednesday afternoon given that Alameda County has the "one day or one trial" rule in place and one day was over....not that fast, given that I had been sworn in as a potential juror, I was now working on the "one trial" timeline....drats!

Yesterday, I finally got out of the audience and closer to the actual juror box. I got the same type of questions from the judge and the attorneys I had heard over and over again and I answered them truthfully (it was my truth, mind you, others may have answered them in other ways). Today, I actually made it into the juror box (#7) and I thought, oh no, I'm sunk now....but luck was on my side and while the attorneys didn't dismiss anyone for cause from the group that I was a member of, the first chance that the defense attorney had to use one of his preemptory challenges on me, I was outta there...I was kind of bummed but relieved at the same time in that it would have been an interesting trial but it would have lasted three weeks (minimum). Of course, in Alameda County, there's always next year.... ( Sep 08 2004, 03:01:20 PM PDT ) Permalink Comments [3]